The reason Nalan is killing Surgebinders

[BreathTaker he/him]

Ok, so I had this theory the other day while I was contemplating a new character or stoy I could write for a potential Fan-Fic or story of my own. Anyways...

 

Nalan is THE Skybreaker right? That means that he must uphold the law, every law, everywhere. What the Stormfather says is considered as law to a Surgebinder right? So if ol' Stormy(not Stormageddon, the other one) says to his Spren "DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES AT ALL return to Roshar or you'll be grounded," that would be a law in Nalan's eyes. SO, he goes around killing Surgebinders because that's the easiest way to kill a spren, THAT is the real reason why he doing what he is doing. He's just trying to carry out the Stormfather's commands to the spren. 

 

another theory was that he was killing Cutivation's spren because she sent them against Honor's will. The only Surgebinders we see him kill or try to kill is a Truthseer and an Edgedancer both of which are theorizd elsewhere to be Cultivation spren right? We know from Wendel that his "Mother" sent him across which would make one assume she sent her other spren out into Roshar for the same reason, thereby, in the words of Mufasa, Deliberatley Diobeying Honor. 

 

I think this is my first actual theory so please, tear it apart and make me see the truth... KURK, get over here!

Edited June 21, 2014 by BreathTaker

[Fifth of Daybreak he/him]

I love this. Nobody tear this apart please. Especially since the Stormfather is linked to Tanavast, who is the one who made the Heralds what they are. 

 

 

 

another theory was that he was killing Cutivation's spren because she sent them against Honor's will. The only Surgebinders we see him kill or try to kill is a Truthseer and an Edgedancer both of which are theorizd elsewhere to be Cultivation spren right? We know from Wendel that his "Mother" sent him across which would make one assume she sent her other spren out into Roshar for the same reason, thereby, in the words of Mufasa, Deliberatley Diobeying Honor. 

 

 

Do we have any idea what Ivory would be? He reacts to Jasnah in the prologue, which was most likely him sensing her surgebinding. 

 

 

 

The Azish man, the one dressed in black and silver, stopped and looked her up and down. He frowned. 

 

 

Edit: I got so excited I forgot to upvote! Fixed that now. 

Edited June 21, 2014 by EMTrevor

[Aleksiel]

But Nalan said he kills surgebinding criminals because they cause Desalation, he never mentioned anything about spren prohibition.

[Argent he/him]

Aye, Nalan's reasoning - in his own words - is that even small criminals, who are also Surgebinders, are much more dangerous than, say, crime lords because their Surgebindings (or something related to them) can bring back the Desolations. 

[RShara she/her]

Killing the surgebinder won't kill the spren, as long as the person didn't break their oaths.

[AngusThermopyle]

First of all, that is a great post.

I thought Nalan was doing it in an attempt to stop the upcoming desolation, because he thought without surgebinders it wouldn't happen.  Due to his code he could only go after people who had committed crimes.  One of the arguements made by the Parshendi for trying Stormform was seeing Kaladin surgebinding so he may have been right.  Those are my thoughts anyway.

It may be similar to Amaram seeking to bring back the Voidbringers in an effort to bring back the Radiants and return the world to more of a Hierocracy state.  The spren came back because they saw something terrible coming, but maybe them coming back caused it?

[BreathTaker he/him]

Good point, I had forget about that point. Upvote for all. 

[jefftucker0525]

I really think the whole reason that Nalan is killing Surgebinders is because after having living through all the desolations, and then betraying the Oathpact, and then living with all of this, he came up with some convoluted ideas that add up to him killing Surgebinders.

 

Actually, isn't it possible he could have been influenced by Odium? After all, Odium can speak into peoples minds right? So wouldn't it make sense that he would try to enlist someone powerful to do the dirty work he couldn't? Over the years Odium implants little ideas over and over and over again into Nalans mind until it actually becomes his own idea that Surgebinders have to die.

 

Let me know what you think, but it seems plausible to me.

[BreathTaker he/him]

I like it, it sounds like Supernatural to me but hey I love that show, so let's roll with that.

[Moogle]

After all, Odium can speak into peoples minds right? So wouldn't it make sense that he would try to enlist someone powerful to do the dirty work he couldn't? Over the years Odium implants little ideas over and over and over again into Nalans mind until it actually becomes his own idea that Surgebinders have to die.

 

We have no evidence of this. If Odium was going to speak to anyone, you'd think he'd have spoken to Eshonai. Eshonai didn't hear him, she heard the voices of her gods (the Unmade). I suspect Odium literally cannot intervene on Rosharan affairs, which includes speaking into people's minds.

[Terisen he/him]

I, too, like this theory.  I don't think Nalan is as bad as he initially seems (though I still think the Skybreakers are jerks, from what we know of them).  He's just holding to what he believes to be a law.  That is, Surgebinding brings on Desolations.  Kill the Surgebinders, stop the Desolation, save the world.  With the Stormfather being bonded to Dalinar now, it's possible that the law changes and Nalan (and, by association, Szeth) wind up working with Dalinar.  To an extent.

 

There does seem to be a chicken/egg question about what causes what.  There are factions that believe that the Desolations bring back Surgebinding.  I think both Syl and Pattern implied this is why they returned, but I'm too lazy to go look up the references.  The Sons of Honor hold this belief..  Then you have those that think that the Surgebinding brings back Desolations,  Nalan seemlingly falls into that category.

 

And I don't know which is right.  But if I had to guess, I'd say that Desolations bring back Surgebinding.

[BreathTaker he/him]

 Nobody tear this apart please

Funny, I'm currently listening to "Don't tear us apart" by the Dropkick Murphys so I think it's fitting.

Edited June 22, 2014 by BreathTaker

[Zmann966 he/him]

I wouldn't be surprised at all if this is a simple Catch 22, it's a common-enough literary device (especially when used with "prophecy" as we kinda are here)

 

Spren-Human bonding will bring about Surgebinders/Radiants, surgebinding will push the Parshendi into bringing about the Everstorm, fear of the Everstorm causes Spren to come and bond humans to create Radiants. 

 

On and on and on.
Nalan, wise man he is, realizes if he can throw a wrench into this eternally-circular sequence and remove just one part of the wheel, the whole thing will cease. Nalan only has the power to control one piece of that wheel: stop surgebinders from manifesting.

Amaram, smart yet idiot man that he is, is the exact opposite yet still realizes that if he can begin just one part of this sequence, the whole thing will start to turn.
The Stormfather is on Nalan's side, initially. He wants to make sure this situation doesn't play out; what does he have the power to try and stop? The spren bonding.

 

I understand the Skybreakers might be "jerks" and "bad guys" in the idea that people like Kaladin, Lift, and Jasnah are our heroes in this story we're reading... But the truth of the matter is that they're the good guys, we're just rooting for the wrong people. Nalan and his buddies are trying to stop our perceived "heroes" because they're gonna mess it all up. I think I'd trust the people who've been trying to forestall the destruction of the world, (and possibly the entire cosmere) for the last 4,000 years.

Good on them, I say!

[Aleksiel]

I wouldn't be surprised at all if this is a simple Catch 22, it's a common-enough literary device (especially when used with "prophecy" as we kinda are here)

 

Spren-Human bonding will bring about Surgebinders/Radiants, surgebinding will push the Parshendi into bringing about the Everstorm, fear of the Everstorm causes Spren to come and bond humans to create Radiants. 

 

Only non of the previous Desolations started with an Everstorm. The Stormfather called it a new thing, so this might very well be the first time there is an everstorm on Roshar.

 

 

I don't think Nalan has just gone crazy. We don't know how Honor was shattered and what Tanavast did to trap Odium, why Recreance happened and so on. I give Nalan the benefit of doubt here. 

 

edit: spelling

Edited June 23, 2014 by Aleksiel

[BreathTaker he/him]

WE HAVE A SKYBREAKER IN THE ROOM PEOPLE!! Hahaha just kidding but I really like your point, Nalan isn't a psycho that we think he is.

[Fifth of Daybreak he/him]

Killing the surgebinder won't kill the spren, as long as the person didn't break their oaths.

 

I'm surprised I glossed over that part of the OP, considering that was my question for Brandon when I went to the Chicago signing. But that doesn't necessarily kill the theory. Is his goal is to stop surgebinding, this could still work. Brandon said it would a be a traumatic event for the Spren, so it stands to reason that the Spren who lost their bonded in such a way would not be as willing to find another bonding partner, especially if Nalan kills their bonded more than once. 

 

Also, what I like about this most is it fits in with everyone pointing to him being 'crazy.' Well, what if it's just his boss that's crazy? He doesn't have to be correct about the cause for the Desolations, he just has to think he is. Especially considering the Stormfather is somehow related to Tanavast:

 

 

I am his...spren, you might say. Not his soul. I am the memory men create for him, now that he is gone. The personification of storms and of the divine. I am no god. I am but a shadow of one. 

WoR Chapter 89 The Four

 

The Heralds were linked to Tanavast, and so they could have transferred some of that loyalty over to what remains of Tanavast. Now we have a couple of different reasons for why the Stormfather would tell Nalan "Spring forth and divide!"

 

1. The Stormfather does not fully understand the causality of Desolations but thinks this to be the case.
2. The Stormfather does understand causality, and this is the case.
3. The Stormfather is using Nalan to get revenge on humans for killing spren.
4. The Stormfather told Nalan that in order to protect 'his children.' Killing a bonded doesn't kill the spren, so it's a way for him to bring them back into the fold. 
5. The Stormfather knows that this will not help prevent the Desolations, but doesn't want to prevent them. He is using Nalan then to try and undermine the Human's ability to resist Desolation and extinction.

Probably a few more possibilities, but I'd say these are the most likely.  We know that the Stormfather isn't exactly a fan of humans. He also doesn't seem to include Humans as allies. Look at some of the things he says:

 

 

I was required to send those visions once the time arrived. The Almighty demanded it of me. I could no more disobey than I could refuse to blow the winds. 

 

This implies that he wanted to disobey. 

 

 

It does not matter. You were too slow. You failed. The Everstorm is here, and the spren of the Enemy come to inhabit the ancient ones. It is over. You have lost. 

 

While he does classify Odium as 'the enemy' if he considered humans allies, the 'you' should be 'we' instead. 

 

 

He wished for me to find you, but your kind have brought only death to mine.

 

Again, forced to do so against his wishes. 

 

 

"Voidbringers."

That is one word for them.

 

Seems he doesn't really approve of the term. 

 

 

 . . . You are doomed

 

Again, not we. 

 

 

That's really why I absolutely love this theory. It combines the two major opinions on Nalan at the same time: he's acting in what he believes to be the best interests for humanity, but he's also somewhat corrupt (in his faith in the Stormfather, who seems to have some screws loose.)